"When we get winter storms, we get power outages and sometimes they can last for several days," said Don Eastman, president of the board of directors of the Del Monte Forest Property Owners.

One reason outages are longer in Pebble Beach is that it's "at the end of the line on the Monterey Peninsula" for power distribution, according to a 2010 study.

The goal is "to increase system reliability and safety for the residents of Pebble Beach," said Mike Niccum, general manager of the Pebble Beach Public Utilities District.

Aesthetics are a plus, said Niccum.

"It will obviously look better without the poles," he said.

The work started along main roads first because the majority of homes are there and utilities on the routes are the most obvious, he said.

The population of the Del Monte Forest is about 4,500 residents, with about 2,500 homes, said Niccum.

A contract for the first phase of the multi-phase project, a 1.7-mile stretch between Congress and Lopez roads, was awarded to Lewis and Tibbetts Inc. of San Jose in May. The work, which started in June, is expected to be completed by year's end, said Niccum.

A trench is being dug along the roads and each utility will install its own conduit and equipment. Overhead lines are then removed from poles, Niccum said.

After the main line wires are replaced, "it will take decades to underground the rest of Pebble Beach," Niccum said.

Design work starts on the second phase along Forest Lake Road in the fall, he said.

Planning has been under way for years. For the past three years, $1 million a year has been earmarked for Phase 1, mainly through property taxes. There is no additional cost to homeowners, said Niccum.

The total cost for Phase 1 is $2.7 million, with $1.8 million going to the contractor. The balance goes for design, to the utility companies and for residential trenching, said Niccum.

Residents can get project updates through twice yearly newsletters and on the district's website at www.pbcsd.org.